‘Buttler’s form is pedestrian’: Former India cricketer sounds alarm over Gujarat Titans top order

former indian cricketer Akash Chopra Highlights key concerns for Gujarat Titans ahead of IPL 2026 season, pointing out their dependence on top and star batsmen If the housekeeperThe lackluster performance became a potential trouble spot.Titans reach IPL 2025 playoffs but fall into IPL 2025 playoffs mumbai indians in the eliminator. Their success last season was largely due to the outstanding performance of Sai Sudharsan (759 points), Shubman Gill (650) and Jos Buttler (538).In a recent YouTube video, Chopra explained that Gujarat’s batting strategy relies heavily on the top three. “What is their weakness? Call it a weakness or a challenge. There is still a slight over-reliance on the top three. It would be great if they replicate what they did last year, which means the top three bat together until the 14th or 15th round and at least one of them should be 100 per cent holding on until the 15th round. By the 14th or 15th inning you should be only one shot behind,” he said.Chopra also pointed out Jos Buttler’s recent struggles, saying his form was “mediocre” compared to past standards. He emphasized that if Butler continues to perform poorly, it could cause problems for the Titans, as both openers cannot be expected to carry the scoring load consistently.“However, the fact is that Jos Buttler is in very, very lackluster form at the moment. We have not seen a more average performance from Jos Buttler in any World Cup. This time he has not performed well in good form. So will this be a problem for Gujarat Titans? You want to start with Jos Buttler, but what if the form is not good? Neither opener can score every time,” Chopra added.Buttler had a poor showing at the 2026 ICC Men’s T20 World Cup between India and Sri Lanka, scoring just 87 runs in eight games.Gujarat Titans will begin their IPL 2026 season on March 31 against Kings XI Punjab at the PCA Stadium in Chandigarh.